Playwright
by applemilk
Summary: It looks like the popstars of Juuban High are all auditioning for the lead in the school's newest play production: Romeo and Juliet. Who will get the part of Romeo, and who will be Juliet? Please RR. Read my bio for more information.
1. Ideas

_Playwright_

Written by applemilk 

Chapter 1: Ideas

* * *

A young woman shrilled triumphantly, followed by squeals of excitement. Thick blonde hair cascaded down her back; she was no more than sixteen years old. 

"What has gotten into Minako-chan?" murmured a girl who was also a sixteen year old with blonde hair. Only her hair was more golden and was held in an unusual hairstyle of pigtails. She and her friends looked on at Minako, the squealing young woman, with high curiosity. They were all sitting in a booth, drinking smoothies.

"Minako!" the golden-haired girl's companion called. She had long, thick, dark hair and an exotic appeal. The young woman immediately stopped squealing and looked at her friends with huge starry eyes. "Well?" the exotic one prodded, "What's up with you?"

Minako dashed to sit in their booth, pushing aside the girl with an unusual hairstyle away from her smoothie.

"Oh Rei!" she responded to the dark-haired woman, giggling with delight, "I have fabulous news!"

"You have a date with one of the Three Lights?" Rei asked wide-eyed.

"Please," Minako scoffed, "They wouldn't know a true goddess like myself if it hit them in the face." As she was about to take a sip of the smoothie in front of her, a noise of protest stopped her. She turned to find a sad-struck expression of a golden-haired girl.

"Gomen-nasai Usagi!" Minako immediately pushed the drink to Usagi, the friend she had _also_ pushed away to sit down. "Anyway, _fabulous_ news. They are deciding to produce a play in Juuban High, and guess which play it is? Just _guess!!_"

"Romeo and Juliet?" a girl with a high pony-tail guessed. Minako clapped her hands with glee.

"How did you know Mako-chan?! I'm so excited for it!" she gushed on, "I just know for sure I can get the lead in this. And guess who I know for sure is getting the lead as Romeo?"

All her friends looked at her expectantly.

"Kou Taiki."

"WHAAAAT?" Usagi spluttered her drink, along with another friend. Her other friend gained composure immediately.

"How would he have time to manage balancing school play auditions and his celebrity lifestyle?" This friend, who had kept quiet most of this time, finally spoke. She had short, dark hair; so dark it was almost blue.

"Oh Ami-chan, Taiki is a professional," Minako explained. "He can do everything!"

"Hmm, it's strange," Makoto pondered. "I mean, Romeo and Juliet are Italians, right? Ami, Rei and I have better chances at being Juliet."

Ami blushed, Rei smiled widely, while Minako's eye twitched and a vein pulsated in her forehead.

"Rei-chan doesn't even _go_ to Juuban High," Minako fumed, quickly diminishing Rei's smile. "And hair color shouldn't matter! It's the talent that counts!"

Makoto thought this over and just shrugged.

"So when are auditions?" Usagi asked.

"Next week!" Minako continued brightly, "and I will do whatever it takes to get this part! I can see the headlines now: Kou Taiki Plays Along Side Aino Minako in the Production of Romeo and Juliet, What A Success!!!"

Minako was now standing out proudly with one hand held high and another on her hip. She also started laughing insanely. Her friends only looked away, in embarrassment at the attention she was drawing.

"Er…right," Usagi took a big sip from her smoothie. "Hey Minako-chan, why don't you order a drink to your success?"

Minako nodded eagerly in agreement.

* * *

The skies were orange and yellow, as always, when she walked home. 

Usagi sighed longingly at the thought of Minako playing a beautiful character such as Juliet. She wished she had that talent to be able to perform, but knowing her luck she'd forget her lines and fall off stage. It was still alright to daydream, though, wasn't it?

"What's troubling you, odango?" a familiar voice asked from beside her. She instantly snapped out of the daydream while she walked down the sidewalk and her face turned red.

"Nothing!" she stated matter-of-factly, not turning her gaze to meet the voice.

"Oh really?" The voice was now in front of her. She inevitably crashed into the person and fell backwards onto the paved sidewalk. The person who was talking to her offered a hand, but Usagi ignored it and got up herself, dusting off the back of her skirt.

"You baka! How dare you step in front of me when you'd know I'd fall!"

"Honestly, odango, I had no clue." But the voice was biting back laughter incessantly. She growled,

"The nerve! I'm never speaking to you again, Seiya."

His lips quirked up.

"Is that so?"

She haughtily walked around him to continue her voyage home and refused to acknowledge him.

"Ah well that is too bad." He continued walking right along side her. "You see, I was considering auditioning for the part as Romeo… but I needed someone to practice with me as Juliet. And since you don't—"

"I thought Taiki was Romeo," Usagi gaped at him. She stopped walking right when he said Romeo and apparently he did not realize that. He stopped walking as well and turned to her, waving his hand in the air as he explained.

"He's auditioning too and I thought I may as well. I just need someone to help me practice my dialogue, you know, someone to read Juliet's lines."

Usagi only stood there with a small 'o' formation on her mouth.

"Well?" he prodded.

"Well what?"

"Will you help me?"

"I-eh, uhmm, well, I'm not a very good actress…"

"It doesn't matter. It's just practice."

"Er, uhh, a-and I probably won't be able to read half the things Juliet says…"

"We can work around that."

"And, eh… why don't you just ask Minako-chan? She's auditioning for Juliet anyway."

"Because I want you to help me, odango."

"Why?" she asked bluntly.

"Please?" he could only respond in return. She fidgeted.

"I won't be good help, Seiya!!" She marched on but something caught her wrist; Seiya's hand. "Unhand me!" she demanded as she involuntarily blushed.

"Am I that unbearable?"

The tone in his voice froze her movements.

"It's nothing like that, Seiya." Her cheeks warmed even more.

"Then why won't you help me? If Minako needed help, you'd help her, wouldn't you?"

"Of course, but…"

"But…?"

Usagi sighed in defeat. There was no getting out of this anyway. It was not that she did not _want_ to help Seiya. In fact, she very much enjoyed his company. She just did not think it would be right to help him in this situation, acting out pieces of Romeo and Juliet…

"Okay. I'll help you."

The smile he gave her was worth it, she supposed. She smiled in return.

* * *

"I didn't know you meant help right now," Usagi sweat-dropped. She was at the Kou's flat, a highly luxurious apartment complex, with Seiya. She complimented the place the whole way, completely oblivious of the play til they reached the room. 

"The earlier I practice, the better I'll be. It's like studying for an exam—" Usagi did not know much about studying either so Seiya dropped the subject.

"Where are Taiki and Yaten?"

"Out."

"Out where?"

"On business, promoting." She nodded at this. "It's just us for now, odango," Seiya winked. Usagi gulped.

"Yeah, I guess so," she laughed nervously. Seiya laughed soundly and handed her the transcript.

"How about we start with Act 2, Scene II?"

"Sounds…good…to me," Usagi replied uncertainly as she fumbled through the transcript, trying to find a page number. With a tiny smirk, he handed her his own transcript, which was already turned to Act 2 Scene II, and took hers. With a couple flips, he was there.

Usagi stared down at the script.

"Hey, this looks familiar," she smiled brightly. Seiya chuckled.

"I'll start after Juliet comes to the window." He kneeled and Usagi looked at him questionably. "I'm improvising," he explained, but Usagi still looked confused. "You know, Juliet is on the balcony, so Romeo is looking up at her?"

"_Ohh_," Comprehension washed over Usagi's face and she laughed to herself. Seiya coughed a little to clear his throat before speaking.

"But, soft! what light through yonder window breaks?  
It is the east, and Juliet is the sun.  
Arise, fair sun, and kill the envious moon,  
Who is already sick and pale with grief,  
That thou her maid art far more fair than she:  
Be not her maid, since she is envious;  
Her vestal livery is but sick and green  
And none but fools do wear it; cast it off.  
It is my lady, O, it is my love!  
O, that she knew she were!"

The earnest look in his eyes, the need in his voice. He was very convincing. Though the speech was of olden times, Usagi found herself understanding more than she thought she would.

"She speaks yet she says nothing: what of that?  
Her eye discourses; I will answer it.  
I am too bold, 'tis not to me she speaks:  
Two of the fairest stars in all the heaven,  
Having some business, do entreat her eyes  
To twinkle in their spheres till they return.  
What if her eyes were there, they in her head?  
The brightness of her cheek would shame those stars,  
As daylight doth a lamp; her eyes in heaven  
Would through the airy region stream so bright  
That birds would sing and think it were not night.  
See, how she leans her cheek upon her hand!  
O, that I were a glove upon that hand,  
That I might touch that cheek!"

His hand reached out to her, almost touching her face. He was looking straight at her. His eyes were so familiar to Usagi. The midnight blue reminded her of…

Seiya coughed again, and Usagi realized it was her line. She turned pink and searched for her line.

"Ay!_ Me!_" She said in a ridiculous overdramatic tone. There was a glint in Seiya's eye but he said nothing of it.

"She speaks:  
O, speak again, bright angel! for thou art  
As glorious to this night, being o'er my head  
As is a winged messenger of heaven  
Unto the white-upturned wondering eyes  
Of mortals that fall back to gaze on him  
When he bestrides the lazy-pacing clouds  
And sails upon the bosom of the air."

Usagi found herself staring at Seiya, more than paying attention to her own lines. He was not even looking at his script when he spoke. And when he spoke, she was at a lost. She truly felt like Juliet.

Hearing an _ahem_ from him, she abruptly stopped her dazing and looked for her lines again.

"O Romeo, Romeo…" she started awkwardly, "wherefore art thou Romeo? Deny thy father and refuse thy name; or if thou wil…t, _wilt_, not…be but sworn my love…huh? Oops, sorry. Ehh…And I'll no longer be a Capulet!"

"Shall I hear more, or shall I speak at this?" said a sarcastic voice that was definitely not Romeo's. Or, rather, Seiya's. It was Yaten. Taiki and Yaten had just entered the flat. And apparently Yaten knew the lines of _Romeo and Juliet_ by heart too.

"You two are here early," Seiya noted, rising from his position.

"Yaten was getting annoyed with the radio host, threw a hissy fit…" Taiki began. Usagi was surprised at how casually Taiki spoke. Normally he was deadly quiet. And when he spoke, it was not so…modern-sounding.

"I did not throw a hissy fit!"

"Kind of like how you aren't right now?" Yaten just smashed a pot to the floor. Usagi jumped back in fright, bumping into Seiya accidently. Seiya moved from behind her and stood in front of her protectively.

"Yaten, this is no way to act around visitors. You're a professional, remember?"

"Whatever, I'm leaving," he said, clearly still angry. He took off for his bedroom, Usagi guessed. "Oh, and you," he stopped and looked at her, "don't try out for Juliet. It's not in your best interest." And with that, he slammed his bedroom door shut.

"Don't mind him," Taiki apologized to a shocked Usagi. He spoke to her gently. "Are you auditioning for the play?"

"Actually," Seiya answered for her, "she's just helping me with my lines." Taiki did not look surprised.

"Did Seiya force you to help him?"

"No…he just kinda begged for awhile…" Usagi admitted. Seiya rolled his eyes. Taiki laughed goodheartedly.

"Is there something you want?" Seiya asked crossly to Taiki.

"I do need to speak with you about Yaten." Seiya's face softened, though a tension started to form in the air.

"Let me take odango home and then we'll talk, alright?"

Taiki nodded and sat on a nearby couch. He had a magazine in hand, one that Usagi did not recognize or notice him holding, and began to read silently.

"Let's go," he looked back at her, and she followed silently.

* * *

"Thanks for helping me with my lines," Seiya spoke casually as they neared Usagi's house. His hands were folded behind is head in a relaxed position and he was looking up at the night sky. Usagi blushed a little. 

"You didn't need help." Seiya didn't deny that.

"But I do appreciate you staying and reading over with me. It's not easy practicing alone, you know."

"Hmm," replied Usagi.

"What are you thinking about?"

"Nothing, really."

"Is that so?"

"Well," Usagi bowed her head a little, "I was wondering about Yaten."

"Yaten? What about him?" Seiya's arms were now folded over his chest, and he was giving her a suspicious look.

"How is he? Or, well, is he gonna be okay?"

"Nani?"

"This afternoon…he seemed really upset…"

"Ah," Seiya waved his hand dismissingly at the subject. "He's always like that when we are promoting. I think living here makes it even worse for him. He doesn't adjust to settling well, since we move so much, but he'll be okay."

"Hmm," Usagi replied again.

"What is it now, odango?"

"How are you so sure he will be okay? I've never seen him act like that."

"You don't know him like I do. He will be fine. Quit burdening yourself with problems that aren't yours, odango. It's not good for you."

Usagi furrowed her eyebrows.

"If I don't make problems my own, then who will care about them?"

"Who's to say that no one cares about Yaten's problems?"

"That's not what I'm not trying to say!"

"Is it?"

"Now I don't even know what I'm saying!" Usagi huffed. They were already at her house, in front of the doorway. Seiya smiled.

"I think what you're trying to say is that you cannot help but care. It's an admirable trait, odango, but burdensome. I'll see you tomorrow, same time, for practice, alright?" And he walked away without an answer from her. Usagi wondered how this popstar idol could make her feel so infuriated, yet so …

"Usagi, honey?" Usagi's mother had just opened the door. "Where have you been? It's late and your dinner's getting cold."

Usagi did not realize how hungry she was. With a bright smile, she skipped inside, deciding not to think about Seiya for the time being.

**_

* * *

Author's note: _**Read my bio for info and updates on this story. :) 


	2. Complications

_Playwright_

Written by applemilk

Chapter 2: Complications

* * *

Seiya came back to the Kou's flat that night with a silly smile on his face. He did not notice Taiki, who was sitting where Seiya had left him, but he definitely heard what Taiki said.

"Did you kiss her?"

"N-nani--?!" The smile wiped off Seiya's face and his expression was replaced with a deer caught in headlights.

Taiki returned to reading his magazine, dismissing Seiya. Seiya tried to clarify the events, though, but Taiki held up his hand to halt.

"I do not need details."

"B-but—"

"In fact, we need to talk about Yaten. Lately—"

"I DID NOT KISS HER."

"—he's been feeling terribly, I'm sorry, what?"

Seiya's face was slightly red from his outburst.

"We did not… kiss." Taiki stared at Seiya tensely.

"Hug?" Seiya shook his head no.

"Handshake?" No.

"A simple goodnight?" No.

"What did you _do_?"

"I told her I'd see her for practice tomorrow." Taiki's eyes prodded him to continue. "Then I…left…"

Taiki's small chuckles were not needed to reaffirm Seiya's actions. Seiya was almost ashamed.

"What's become of you?" Taiki spoke with a wide smile that was unsettling. It was not normal for Taiki to smile that big. "Kou Seiya, lead singer of the Three Lights, can't even be a bit romantic? Aren't you interested in her?"

"Of course I am." Seiya responded defensively.

"Then what's taking so long?"

"I don't know."

"It's our second year attending this school."

"I know."

"It's the longest you've gone without—"

"I _know_."

"—a steady girlfriend." Taiki paused. "Why don't you charm her like the other girls?"

"I can't. And I've tried, believe me." Taiki's eyes danced, which was another unsettling facial feature that did not occur very often.

"Kou Seiya is not capable of doing something? Someone call the press—"

"Taiki," Seiya warned.

"I'm sorry," he quickly apologized. "I'm feeling unnaturally…good today."

"I noticed. Why's that, I wonder?" Seiya tried steering the topic of Usagi.

"I honestly have no clue. Why can't you charm Tsukino?" he countered. Seiya sighed as he dropped onto the couch, directly across from the couch Taiki was seated at, like a sack of potatoes.

"She's different."

"How so?" interested in the subject matter, Taiki pressed on.

"She's…I…I can't always be the celebrity Kou Seiya around her. Around her, I'm just Seiya."

"Continue." Seiya scratched the back of his head.

"With all the other girls, I can easily charm them with a smile or nod, or a single word. With Usagi…she never looks at me like the other fans. She just looks at me like she does everyone else."

"So you want her to be a star struck fan?"

"No! I like that she does not see me any different…any more special than the next person. I just wish she would look at me with an _attraction_."

"She's never looked at you in that way?" Taiki was mildly impressed. Then he recalled his own encounters with Usagi, and noticed that she only looked at him in awe when she saw his test scores.

"Well," Seiya smiled to himself as he lay across the couch, hands folded over his chest. "Today was the first time she did. When I was practicing my lines."

"And how did that make you feel?" Taiki crossed his legs and took on the posture of a psychiatrist.

"Amazing. I felt like we had a real connection, you know? But…" Seiya's smile slowly grew smaller until it was bittersweet.

"But…?"

"She wasn't really looking at me. She was looking at Romeo," Seiya and Taiki both sighed.

"So that's why you did not make any advances when taking her home?"

"Oh no, I just completely forgot to."

"How could you forget?" Taiki smiled gently.

"Like I said before," Seiya stared at the ceiling, as if trying to look through it to see the stars, "I'm not the same when I'm around her. I mean, I am to an extent. She just tends to bring out some bad qualities of me that the rest of the public eye does not see."

"Defense mechanisms," Taiki nodded understandably.

"She made me completely forget to wish her a goodnight," Seiya continued, "which was _all_ I intended to do tonight. And I couldn't even rebound because I ruined the moment for it. Well, she kind of ruined it too."

"How so?"

"She just mentioned Yaten," Seiya waved his hand dismissively.

"Yaten?" Taiki's interest piqued and he narrowed his eyebrows. "What did she say about him?"

"She's just worried about him, the way he was acting tonight. His little temper tantrum—"

"I WAS _NOT_ THROWING A TEMPER TANTRUM," Yaten yelled from another room, clearly listening to their conversation.

"GO TO SLEEP," Seiya yelled back. "I just told her not to worry about it since it wasn't her problem." He told Taiki. Taiki's facial expression softened and he nodded in agreement. Then Taiki spoke quietly,

"We really need to talk about Yaten…" Seiya nodded as well, rising from his sleeping position on the couch to sit next to Taiki, so they could discuss privately.

* * *

Minako and Makoto were curiously eyeing Usagi the next day at school. When Usagi turned to Makoto, Makoto had a thoughtful look on her face. When Usagi turned to Minako, she caught Minako giving her the evil eye. But Minako quickly diverted her death glare at Usagi whenever Usagi looked at her.

Usagi was able to speak normally with Makoto, but with Minako, she was having trouble communicating. She even asked Minako a few times what was wrong, but Minako simply shrugged her shoulders and ignored her. During lunch, Usagi caught Ami's stare across the campus. Ami simply looked down with a blush, then scuttled off to talk with a teacher.

Seiya acknowledged Usagi in customary hellos and goodbyes, which was different from his usual teasing and overbearing personality. Taiki and Yaten did not acknowledge her at all. They did not even glance at her any time during school. Usagi concluded that the world decided to have an _off_ day today without giving her the memo.

At the arcade after school, Usagi was the first to arrive and sit at the girls designated booth as usual. Motoki, the young male worker behind the counter, was at work with her milkshake when the rest of the girls arrived shortly after Usagi. They placed their orders and slowly sat at the booth.

Tension was definitely in the air. Usagi was completely clueless as to what was going on, so she kept silent.

"I'm so hungry I could eat a horse," Makoto broke the silence. Rei and Minako stared at her.

"What?" Makoto persisted. "I'm fucking starving! I haven't had food in four hours. My stomach feels like it's eating itself—"

"We get it, Makoto." Rei rolled her eyes. Makoto shrugged and hollered at Motoki to hurry up with their orders. Motoki laughed in his friendly way and started to place the orders on the counter one by one. The girls went up to get their orders one by one, Minako being the last to sit back down.

"_So_…Usagi-chan," Minako started, twirling a straw in her drink. Usagi looked at her curiously while slurping down her milkshake. "I tried calling you around eight o clock last night but your little brother said you weren't home."

Usagi nodded, continuing to slurp her milkshake.

"I tried calling Ami," Ami's head remained in a book. Her ears turned slightly pink, however. "Rei," Rei was staring at Usagi as she took bites out of her nachos, "and Makoto," Makoto was completely devouring her hamburgers and fries, "but they didn't know where you were either." Minako's voice turned very sweet. "We were all so worried about you."

Usagi gulped down her milkshake to speak. The cup was still halfway full and usually Usagi tried to drink her milkshake in one go, but she would stop if she had to talk.

"I'm sorry, guys. I know it's not like me to be out after seven." Rei and Minako nodded vehemently. Usagi was about to take another sip of her milkshake but Minako pressed on.

"I received an anonymous tip that you arrived at the Three Lights flat around 7:34 pm and departed at 9:12 pm with Kou Seiya on both occasions. Is this true?"

"Oh," Usagi gaped at them dumbfounded. "I guess those were the times I was at his place..." Ami almost dropped her book, Rei and Makoto almost choked on their food, but Minako remained strangely calm. Though Usagi did see her eye twitch a little.

"And were you planning on telling us this little information any time soon…?" Minako spoke for the table.

"Well, yeah," Usagi giggled nervously. "I kind of forgot—" Minako slammed her hand on the table and stood up.

"Forgot?! FORGOT?!" She fumed. "HOW DO YOU FORGET YOU WENT TO A CELEBRITY'S _PRIVATE_ QUARTERS?!"

Luckily, the arcade games made enough noise to lessen Minako's loud voice.

"I-I'm s-sorry…" Usagi's eyes went wide as she looked around the arcade to see if Minako was causing a scene.

"SORRY? SORRY?? USAGIWE'RETHEIRBIGGESTFANSANDYOUROURBESTFRIENDANDYOUCAN'TTELLUSTHISONETHING??"

"Mina-chan, calm down," Usagi winced. "Just sit and I'll tell you everything."

Minako sat eagerly but Usagi was already being bombarded with questions.

"Where do they live?"

"Was Taiki there?"

"Why did Seiya take you there? Will you go again?"

"Did you see his bedroom? Was he naked at any point??"

"Oh my God can you picture his chest!"

"Hell yeah!! That and his hot, juicy ass—"

"_Mako-chan_, please!" Usagi's cheeks were flaming red. She was not expecting, well she was expecting Makoto's comments, but she did not want visuals in her mind!

Makoto only smiled knowingly, making Usagi even more embarrassed than necessary.

"First of all, _yes_," her friends faces were absorbing her words in excitement, "Taiki was there," Usagi looked at Ami, who had asked the question. Ami looked down and blushed but Usagi continued. "He came later with Yaten."

"Wait so you were alone with Seiya??" Minako urged on.

"Only for a little while and _no_ I did not see him naked or his bedroom at any point! That's just ecchi!" Usagi said, looking pointedly at Rei and Makoto with utter disgust. They sighed disappointedly.

"Seiya just wanted me to practice his lines for the play auditions."

"Oh my God, Seiya's going to auditon too!!" Usagi nodded at Minako's outburst. "Wait, then are you auditioning?"

"No!" Usagi stated, flabbergasted. "I didn't even want to help him! I was just trying to walk home and he was being so…argh. So I ended up reading Juliet's lines while he really acted out Romeo's part."

"Oh my God, he's auditioning for ROMEO!! Now I have a chance with _two_ of the Three Lights." Minako felt like doing her happy dance. "Wait, what scene were you guys doing??"

"Uhmm…The one where Juliet's on the balcony... Near the beginning of the play…Act 2 I think…" Usagi thought back to the other day.

"That's such a romantic scene," Makoto stared up in wonder. "It reminds me of me and my old boyfriend…"

"So are you going to his place again?" Minako completely ignored Makoto and smiled eagerly at Usagi.

"Yeah," Usagi stated defeatedly. "He basically ordered me to come today again after he walked home with me."

"No way! Where do they live?" Rei asked once more. Usagi was about to respond when she stopped herself.

"I don't know if I can say," she said in a small unsure voice..

"What do you mean?" Minako interjected. "We're your friends, Usagi-chan! You can tell us anything!"

"I _know_, but…" Usagi looked at Ami helplessly. Ami was reading once more, her ears still pink, but she felt Usagi's gaze as if it was burning through her. Putting down her book, Ami closed her eyes and exhaled.

"As you know, The Three Lights are here in Tokyo for school education and to experience a slightly less hectic lifestyle by settling and gaining normal experiences, with the exception of their occasional promotions and publicity stunts. The managers of the Three Lights are the only people knowledgeable of their current address. The school board of trustees, even their own families are not disclosed on this information because of the tight security their company is giving them for settling down. The Three Lights can only communicate through their cell phones and any letters sent to them reach their company building first then are sent to their flat under a pseudonym. The apartment complex itself is under a strict contract. Any staff member that leaks out information will lose their job and are made sure _not_ to have an easy life. It's really astonishing for anyone to figure out their home, more or less be invited."

The girls were staring at Ami throughout her informative speech. Then they immediately turned to Usagi, whose cheeks were aflame again.

"Well, Seiya didn't tell me any of that," she looked down at her milkshake. "I just figured to let him have his privacy, with him being a celebrity and all."

"Which is essentially the right thing to do," Ami said as she picked up her book once more.

"Oh c'mon!" Rei persisted. "Just tell us a little _about_ the place.' Usagi thought this over and sighed.

"It's a really nice place. Very…high class, I guess you could say. I would give it five stars." And with that, Usagi started to drink her milkshake again. The girls did not press her any further.

"Five stars…got it…" Rei looked to the side with fire in her eyes. Clearly, a plan was brewing in her head.

"So when are you seeing Seiya again?" Minako asked casually, finally taking a sip out of her own drink.

"I—dunno--" Usagi said in between slurps, trying to finish the milkshake. "sometime--today—"

Minako nodded and also looked to her side, with a small twinkle in her eyes. She was also concocting a plan as well.

* * *

Usagi was not as moronic as she seemed. She knew Rei and Minako were up to something, and she had to tell Seiya before things turned sour for the Three Lights.

She bit her lip as she left the arcade to head home, head bowed sullenly. It was a daily routine for her leave the arcade in the afternoon. She only prayed that she could come across Seiya again before Rei and Minako's plans unfold. After all, she could not remember how to get to his place!

"Oompf!" She tripped over an extended leg and simultaneously bumped her left shoulder next to something, making her twist and land on the grass beside the sidewalk.

"Oh—gomen odango atama," a familiar voice said as she rubbed her side and winced. "I didn't think you would actually fall for that." She looked up in anger and saw a hand offered to her. That hand belonged to the despicable sunglass wearing Kou Seiya.

"What's with the shades? It's not even sunny." True, the sun was setting.

"Why not? I look good in these." He smirked, still offering his hand. Usagi suddenly remembered her fears and looked frantically from his hand to the arcade, which was not far from where she fell. To her horror, Rei and Minako were stepping out. Luckily they had not spotted Seiya yet, so Usagi took a chance.

Grasping his hand, with incredible strength she yanked him towards her. He undoubtedly fell down towards Usagi. With him falling, she rolled over, making him roll as well, until they stopped behind a tree.

"Odango! You've ruined my hair. And these are new clothes!" he complained as he tried to swat pieces of grass, leaves and twigs from himself.

"Shh!" she commanded as she peered from the tree. She saw Rei and Minako walking quickly. Seiya peered above Usagi's head to see what she was hiding from.

"Does she always go home this fast?" Rei asked irritably.

"No," Minako gasped, her eyes squinting in the distance. "Either she's already there, or she took a different route…"

"She just left five minutes ago!"

"I know, I know!"

"What are they talking about—" Usagi jumped alittle, not expecting to hear his voice so close, and inevitably hit her head on his jaw.

"Owww" they both complained.

"First the hair, then the clothes, now I think my jaw is broken."

"Gomen!" Usagi rubbed her head, "But please be quiet!"

Seiya took off his glasses to show his irritated eyes at her before silently obeying and watching her peer from the tree again.

"Okay," she breathed, "they're gone."

"And that matters because…?"

"Because!" she breathed deeply again.

"Odango are you ashamed to be seen with me?" Usagi rolled her eyes. "Or are you just trying to keep me to yourself?"

"No!"

"Then care to explain?"

"I'm protecting you!" she scowled. He snorted, though his heart danced a little.

"That's cute, but I don't need a little girl protecting me—"

"Then you want me to tell them where you live so they can tell all of Tokyo?!"

He frowned.

"You remember where I live?"

Usagi blushed. "Well…I remember the name of the building."

"And you're not telling them?"

She shook her head no.

"Even though I didn't say whether or not you could tell anyone?"

She nodded. Seiya smiled.

"Arigato."

Usagi smiled back.

"So you really are trying to keep me to yourself!" he continued gleefully.

"NO!!"

He laughed and picked some twigs from her hair.

"Taiki and Yaten are comfortable with you, so they did not particularly care, but I am breaking some rules for bringing you there." He continued to speak as he brushed some dirt off her school uniform. Her cheeks heated a little.

"Then maybe I shouldn't come," she stated softly. She wanted to sound assertive, but with him touching her, she couldn't.

"But I want you to come," he looked at her with a kind smile. His dark blue eyes were really spectacular up close. "It gets kind of boring with just the three of us there. Plus, I can't act very well if one of the guys pretended to be Juliet."

Usagi looked down with a blush.

"You don't need my help," she pouted a little. "And I know I'm not helping you when I read my lines!" Seiya chuckled.

"Hmm..true," Usagi glared at him. "I suppose I just like the extra company."

Not knowing what to say, Usagi looked away stubbornly. Everyone was acting strange. First they stand off, then they try to make Usagi feel special. Now Usagi was just waiting for Seiya's attack.

But there was no attack. Usagi saw Seiya's shadow lift as he stood up. Then she saw his shadow hand extending to her once more.

"Well?" he prodded. Usagi stared at him. "Shall we practice?"

Usagi continued to stare.

"Come on. Auditions are in two weeks. I'm just asking for two weeks of your time. One hour per day. We can practice at your place too from time to time."

She sighed and shook her head.

"This is going to be hard for me, Seiya." He looked at her curiously. "Rei and Minako are determined to find where you live."

Seiya grinned wickedly.

"In case you've forgotten, I'm a professional. It's been a year and no one has found out where we live. I can go on for another year like this."

Usagi stared at him once again, doubtfully.

"And I trust you. I wouldn't have asked you if I didn't trust you."

She tilted her head in question, but did not ask why. Instead, she cautiously took his hand. He smiled in victory then pulled her up. Wiping his shades clean on his shirt, he put them back on swiftly and said,

"Now, first you need to remember how to get there. Then the rest will be easy."

* * *

**_Author's note:_** I finally have more time to write! Yay!! There are some secrets in this story, but they will all be revealed in time. Please review :)


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